In Austin, Texas, local nonprofits have been stepping up their efforts to provide for pets facing the twilight of their lives, as well as those left behind by owners passing away in hospice care. Kerrville Pets Alive, a nonprofit organization dedicated to animal rehoming, has been directly collaborating with Peterson Health Hospice in Kerrville to place pets, such as a 9-year-old tabby cat named Gracie, into safe environments until they can be adopted. Karen Guerriero, president of the nonprofit's board, told KXAN, "Our cat rescue coordinator was able to go over and take Gracie to a safe place. She’s doing just great. We’ll adopt her out when when we feel like she’s ready."
Not far behind in their mission, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) runs a program specifically centered around rehoming and assisting pet owners in need through the PASS program. It includes a Facebook page where community members can seek aid for their pets, potentially avoiding the need for shelter surrender. According to Luis Sanchez of APA!, just last year, the program aided 7,000 animals, 4,000 of those in Travis County alone. Sanchez highlighted the importance of these efforts stating, "This is a really a way to make sure that the pet continues to live with the family that cares and loves them like the person that did before them," according to a KXAN interview.
A new addition to the compassionate initiatives of APA! is a specialized end-of-life care program known as "fospice," a blend of fostering and hospice, intended for dogs with terminal illnesses. Laryssa Parker and Jessica Borda of APA! were moved by the story of Opie, a terminal dog who lived eight months past her expected eight-week lifespan. Their efforts now focus on ensuring the dogs' final moments are filled with love. "We always hope that the last memories they have is of something really loving and something really wonderful rather than something really sad. That's what makes us feel better when we do it," Parker told KVUE.
Borda understands the reluctance some may feel, but encourages participation in fospice regardless, "If people just give it a chance and they know going into it that their time might be short, or longer than we thought it was going to be, you can go in with a different perspective and be able to to work through some of those those sad moments," she mentioned to KVUE. While the "fospice" program currently consists of up to ten volunteers caring for four terminally ill dogs, the emphasis also remains on senior dogs requiring care and finding them a safe haven. With the program only launching this year, the hope endures to embrace more dogs with the love and care they need.
APA! invites anyone interested in donating or volunteering for the fospice program to visit their website for more information and a chance to contribute to these endearing animals’ end-of-life experiences.
